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Here and abroad, we must choke these barbarians on every front

THE brutal murder of the American journalist James Foley by Isil [also known
as Isis] is a reminder to us all that Islamic extremism in Iraq and Syria is
not only causing huge suffering in those countries but is also a barbaric
ideology threatening us at home.

Isil’s so-called caliphate has no moral legitimacy; it is a regime of torture,
arbitrary punishment and murder that goes against the most basic beliefs of
Islam. Its victims are unarmed civilians, both Muslims and minorities, and
it has been widely and roundly condemned by religious leaders, including
Saudi Arabia’s most senior cleric.

Isil members are turning a swathe of Iraq and Syria into a terrorist state as
a base for launching attacks on the West. They have already inspired an
attack in Belgium that killed four people. Unless they are stopped, sooner
or later they will seek to strike us on British soil.